Mike Flanagan's Next HAUNTING Series Would've Been THE HAUNTING OF HELL HOUSE
Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor were both incredibly well-made horror shows. The story, writing, and character development were top-notch and he actually had a plan for a third chapter in the franchise for Netflix! He was going to develop a series adaption of Richard Matheson’s 1971 novel Hell House.
Flanagan revealed this information in the forward he wrote for Suntup Editions’ fine press limited edition of the printing of Hell House, and he also explained why it didn’t happen. He said:
“When I adapted Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House as a Netflix series, there was much talk about how to continue the Haunting anthology. We followed Hill House with The Haunting of Bly Manor, based on numerous ghost stories by Henry James. Had there been a third season, I wanted that season to be The Haunting of Hell House. It was actually the first title we explored when Hill House was over, but the rights were spoken for and there did not seem to be a path forward.”
Flanagan’s foreword for the new release continues:
“I don’t know that there has ever been a haunted house story as downright cinematic as Hell House. It is written by a man who thought visually, who had a flair for cinematic set pieces, audience expectations, and visceral thrills that eluded many of his literary predecessors. That is one of the reasons I Am Legend [also by Richard Matheson] resonates so deeply, and Stephen King is correct when he says: ‘Without his I Am Legend, there would have been no Night of the Living Dead.’ Without Hell House, I’d argue that there would be no Poltergeist, no The Conjuring, no Insidious.”
It’s a shame that Flanagan didn’t get to develop his Haunting of Hell House series. I have no doubt that it would’ve been another incredible show. Regardless, he went on to make Midnight Mass and The Fall of the House of Usher, both of which were stunningly great shows!
Hell House is a chilling and suspenseful horror novel that revolves around a haunted mansion known as Belasco House. Dr. Lionel Barrett, a physicist, is hired to investigate and dispel the supernatural occurrences within the mansion. Along with his wife, a spiritual medium, and a young psychic, Barrett embarks on a terrifying journey to unravel the mysteries of Hell House.
As they delve deeper into the malevolent history of the house and confront its sinister manifestations, the characters face psychological and supernatural terrors that test the limits of their sanity. It’s a gripping tale of horror, exploring the thin boundary between the physical and the metaphysical.
Source: Bloody-Disgusting